AI Summary
5 min readThe Ben Maller Show: Ja Morant to Portland, Jalen Duren's Escape, and the Grizzlies' Reset
The NBA transaction season kicked off with a thud, not a bang. After months of trying to unload two-time All-Star Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies finally found a taker — the Portland Trail Blazers — and got back Jeremy Grant, a 32-year-old with one year left on his deal, and a player named Chris Murray that Ben Maller freely admits he's never heard of. No draft picks changed hands. Not even a second-rounder. As Maller put it, "They didn't sell low. They sold subterranean."
The Ja Morant Trade: Portland's Roller Coaster, Memphis's Folding Chair
The deal sends Morant to the Pacific Northwest in exchange for Jeremy Grant and Chris Murray. Maller's report card gives the Trail Blazers a C and the Grizzlies an F. The reasoning: Portland didn't actually give up anything of consequence. "Jeremy Grant is a nice player. He's a jag, just a guy. And Chris Murray's a dime a dozen in the NBA. He's just another roster spam player." The Blazers bought a roller coaster — thrilling, exciting, but liable to go sideways. Memphis bought a folding chair.
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of The Ben Maller Show
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (02:08) **NBA Transaction Season Kicks Off with Ja Morant Trade** - Ben Maller introduces the lead story: the Grizzlies trade Ja Morant to the Trail Blazers for Jerami Grant and Chris Murray, with no draft picks exchanged.
- 2 (08:00) **Who Won the Ja Morant Trade?** - Maller argues the Blazers got the better end, taking a low-risk flier on a volatile star.
- 3 (12:10) **What Was Memphis Thinking?** - Maller analyzes the Grizzlies' side, calling the return a disaster and a signal of potential franchise relocation.
- 4 (17:04) **Jalen Duren Seeking a Sign-and-Trade Exit from Detroit** - The Pistons' restricted free agent center is reportedly targeting the Lakers or Kings.
- 5 (22:30) **Tire Rack Play of the Day: Morocco Wins Penalty Shootout** - A brief World Cup update as Morocco advances past the Netherlands in a penalty shootout.
- 6 (24:19) **Weedman Segment Begins** - Ben Maller brings in the Weedman for a lighthearted call-in segment.
- 7 (44:41) **Insta Trivia: Aaron Nola's ERA** - Maller poses a trivia question about which pitcher has a worse ERA than Aaron Nola since the start of 2025.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller discusses who got the better end of the Ja Morant deal between the Grizzlies and Blazers? What is Memphis thinking with this Ja Morant trade? Jalen Duren is plotting his escape from the Pistons to join the Lakers or Kings. Does this move the needle?
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from this podcast
The Ben Maller Show →